Imagine that.... Cadillac positioned to lead GM's electric push

[12,000 RPM]

https://jalopnik.com/cadillac-will-become-gms-lead-electric-brand-1831670897

GM is set to announce Friday as part of an investor update that a Cadillac will be the first vehicle based on its forthcoming "BEV3" platform, the people said. The vehicle platform is the basis for vehicle underpinnings, including the battery system and other structural and mechanical parts.

GM is not expected to disclose on Friday additional details, including precisely when the Cadillac EV will be built, whether it will be a crossover or sedan, or where it will be assembled, the sources said.

Cadillac EVs would be stupid they said

The ELR was no good, therefore any Cadillac EV will be terrible they said

The analysts predicted success for the Alpha platform they said



O yea. Its Friday I got time today

[2o6]

Who said Cadillac EV's would be stupid?


I don't remember anyone saying that.



Everyone said that Cadillac phasing out ICE's entirely and going all electric rather than actually fixing its product lineup would be stupid. And it is. A lot of Cadillac's problems don't even have to do with Powertrain or propulsion.


———


I wonder where these products are gonna come from. Are they all gonna be long Bolts? I guess a tarted up bolt would be fine for a basic entry level lux car, but you can only stretch it out so long. A Bolt Limo isn't a Model S competitor.

[FoMoJo]

Cadillac had been the leader in GM innovation, so it makes sense.  Electrification is really only at the beginning stages.

[12,000 RPM]

Who said Cadillac EV's would be stupid?


I don't remember anyone saying that.



Everyone said that Cadillac phasing out ICE's entirely and going all electric rather than actually fixing its product lineup would be stupid. And it is. A lot of Cadillac's problems don't even have to do with Powertrain or propulsion.


———


I wonder where these products are gonna come from. Are they all gonna be long Bolts? I guess a tarted up bolt would be fine for a basic entry level lux car, but you can only stretch it out so long. A Bolt Limo isn't a Model S competitor.

No, people said hybrid/electric Epsilon Caddys would be dumb. I might pull up the receipts. I don't think I ever said anything about going all electric

No they're not gonna be long Bolts Your intentional obtuseness game is good

With the skateboard electric platform they could damn well bring their A&S concepts into production.

[Laconian]

I think the ELR was pretty awful. It was beancounted and committeed into irrelevancy because GM started believing its own "range anxiety" FUD, and because GM is too big and too risk averse to innovate. In doing so they left that market segment wide open for Tesla to come show what it's all about when you spend a small fortune on an all-electric car.

Now that GM has a worthy competitor to imitate, they're probably not going to make the same mistake twice. So I'm somewhat hopeful about this second go-round.

[12,000 RPM]

And like VWAG, and unlike Tesla, GM actually knows how to build and deliver cars. If GM leverages its advantages over Tesla, and really focuses on making something desirable+distinct rather than something German, they can do some damage.

I'm just having deja vu with this ambitious GM car coming into what could be a recession. Again this is the kind of thing GM should have built years ago

[2o6]

I don't think that skateboard platform exists beyond a ceramic mock-up.

[2o6]

Also, yes, hybrid epsilon cadillacs would be dumb.



Like, that's basically making an MKZ hybrid but a cadillac, which is not the market Cadillac wants to target.

[shp4man]

I honestly don't have a great deal of faith in GM's engineering ability.

[12,000 RPM]

Also, yes, hybrid epsilon cadillacs would be dumb.



Like, that's basically making an MKZ hybrid but a cadillac, which is not the market Cadillac wants to target.

The market Cadillac wants to target does not want Cadillacs. They need to follow the money

I honestly don't have a great deal of faith in GM's engineering ability.

???
Bolt
Volt
Corvette
Silverado

GM's engineering is solid. It's their product planning that is out of calibration

[2o6]

Once again....they have that car.


It's called the Lacrosse.


Which is being axed.

ES sales are down.


MKZ will be axed soon.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Kill em all. Start from scratch. Reduce scale. ATVs are now the only road legal vehicles, GVWR under 2000# only. You can't do your makeup and text with a helmet and armored gloves, useless bimbos. No more driving around like you're on your living room couch. Ride, or stay home.

[veeman]

My brother in law just bought a Model S.  I'm happy for him.  He likes gadgets and has always splurged on cameras, stereos, TVs, etc.  He can afford the Model S but there is no way he would have spent > 100 grand on any other make.  No way.  Wouldn't have even occurred to him to spend that much on an electric car from BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar much less Cadillac. 

This is what Cadillac or GM for that matter will never achieve.  It's all about the Tesla mystique and the David vs Goliath analogy.  I walked in with him to a sparsely festooned Tesla showroom at a mall a few years ago.  No sales pitch. Just a couple of 20 year olds having people sit in the model S and model X and telling them about it.  They got your email if you wanted to give it.  No slick guy with a fake gold watch asking you how much do you want to spend a month and showing you some kind of punnett square looking math. 

[12,000 RPM]

I think there are a lot more people who might be interested in an electric car that want nothing to do with Tesla's shenanigans.

I was gonna compare Cadillac's yearly sales to Teslas though.... yeesh. Yowsa. The Model 3 damn near outsold the whole Cadillac brand alone, and that was with that second half breakthrough. Even the ancient S and X are up in sales by a good bit. So there's something to that. But there's still a good bit of foot traffic in GM showrooms. I htink they can make something happen

[BimmerM3]

I think there are a lot more people who might be interested in an electric car that want nothing to do with Tesla's shenanigans.

I don't. Most of the world doesn't realize nearly how bad their shenanigans are.

[12,000 RPM]

"'This Is Pretty Much It': New GM President Acknowledges Cadillac's Last Chance For Glory"

https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2019/01/this-is-pretty-much-it-new-gm-president-acknowledges-cadillacs-last-chance-for-glory/

"But the analysts said!," they said.